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Certainly a treasure for serious cooks, and novices too, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi is a must have for vegetarians. Inspiration in abundance, and the photos will have you wanting food right away. I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you are looking for nourishing dishes with a flare, this is surely a valuable resource to consult.

The addition of mung bean sprouts made in your own kitchen really fills out this meal. I did a bit of research, and I found this post rather helpful. My method was to rinse and soak the mung beans overnight. Then I transfered the beans to a stainer, covered with plastic wrap, placed over a bowl, and put them in a cool place on my cupboard. I washed the with cold water every 8 to 12 hours, being careful not to shake up the beans, and replaced the plastic wrap. I repeated this for 4 days and ended up with tender, plump and delicious home-sprouted mung beans ready to eat.

Raw vegetables and herbs are such a treat and pair so well with these fried pancakes. The sauce is simply divine. And yes, mushrooms too. I shared with friends but I was tempted to be greedy and eat these all myself.

Begin by preparing the pancake batter. Whisk together the rice flour, egg, sea salt, turmeric, cayenne and green chili. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk. The mixture should be a smooth, semi-thick batter that is of pouring consistency. Add a little water if necessary. Cover and set aside while you prepare the rest of the food.

Now prepare the sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients and set aside.

For the filling, combine the carrot, radish, green onions, green chilies and snow peas. Put the herbs in another bowl and have your sprouts ready along with the mushrooms.

Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. When hot, ladle 1/2 cup of batter into the pan and spread with the bottom of the ladle until you have a roughly 6 to 8 inch pancake. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes or until you have small holes forming and the bottom is crispy brown, then flip and fry for another few minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 150° oven while you finish the rest of the pancakes — you should finish with 4 to 6 pancakes.

To serve, scatter a portion of the vegetables, herbs and mushrooms over one half of the pancake. Sprinkle some sauce over top and fold the pancake. Drizzle with more sauce and there you go.

Makes 6 servings

Note on making mung bean sprouts at home: Rinse mung beans and soak overnight in water. Drain and transfer to a strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and place over a bowl. Store in a cool place and rinse every 8 to 12 hours with cold water for 4 days, replacing the plastic wrap after every rinse. Rise gently without shaking the beans. You may also want to line the strainer with cheese cloth.

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 23 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.